NEWS

Index

Part of constantly creating work means that every new piece I finish pushes old work farther and farther into the depths of darkness. It gets shoved into the back of a filing cabinet, sent off into a cloud (which sounds magical, but that's only because technology eludes me) or it gets ripped up, given away, sold, even burned. There's something so cathartic about creating something and then destroying it (which worries me about becoming a parent...I kid!) But then there are those moments where you want to harken back to old work to see how far you've come, to see the process which was the beginning. Since my husband and I move a lot, I have not been consistent about compiling a good collection of past work, online or in print, and I feel I might regret that when I turn 80 (and I am planning on living that long).

So, when I was invited to partner with Blurb this past month, I set out to create a book of my most recent illustrations.

I've created books using their tools before but I'd never created a portfolio book of my own. (Exciting!) As I'm not yet eager to destroy any of my most recent work, I'm still smitten enough with it that it felt really lovely to put it all into a printed collection. It feels nice knowing I can look back on 2016 and see what I was making. Now that the book is printed and bound and beautiful, I plan to create a book every year - and then when I'm 80, I'll have fifty books! It is in my nature to take something simple and make a giant unattainable and unrealistic goal but please check back in fifty years and let's see who's on target.

To begin, I thought I'd knock the dust off my InDesign skills I gained a million years ago in Typography 101. As fate would have it, I hate math and rulers and layouts and design and had a moment of panic when I realized how much work it was to actually design a book. Enter BookWright to the rescue! I'm usually not one for templated options but this program saved. my. life.

It was so easy to use - basically, you choose a template per page based on how many photos you want , and whether or not you want text. Instead of dropping each image directly into the template from your computer, you upload your photos to the program and choose which one you'd like to add to each page. It snaps to a grid (thank god) and lets you zoom into the image while maintaining the boundary line. It sets up cover options for you as Blurb offers a dust jacket, a wraparound cover, and a paperback. After you've created the book, you just upload it, they print it, genius navigators deliver it, you unwrap it, you melt a little, and you have a book. I really can't tell you how excited I was when this beauty arrived neatly in its cellophane sleeve, bundled in all its glory.

I chose to include work primarily from 2016, though I did sneak in some work from last year and a studio image from 2013. I also included a short interview and some little Instagram snaps. The book itself is a hardcover wraparound, with light grey end papers and a matte stock (matte for life!) They offer an array of paper stocks, so if you're thinking of creating a book, you can order a swatch kit (which runs a little under $8) and that price is taken off of your book purchase.

After the Holidays, I plan to put some originals up for sale through my site, and am happy to announce that specific paintings will come with a signed copy of the book. How's that for a segue into 2017? Besides, I'd like to sell these paintings before they end up in a filing cabinet or worse - a bonfire!

I hope you guys are all staying cozy and warm - can't wait to catch up with you in the New Year!

Things have been quite busy in my studio and while I try to keep you all posted via Instagram, I've A) left my blog untouched and B) been working exclusively on book projects which means I can't share them until next year - which is so hard!

If you've followed my work for the past year or so, you'll recall the little Ghost book I released last October, What To Do When A Ghost Finds You. I had a blast creating that book and sold a limited number or printed copies. After which, I was contacted by Tara, a lovely editor at Tundra Books of Penguin Random House Canada with an exciting offer to publish the book. What started out as a little side project regarding ghost care has bloomed into a full scale picture book, complete with added content, all new illustrations, a new title, and more color! The book is set to be released next Fall, and I cannot wait to share it with the world. My dream is to travel to different bookstores, introducing the little ghost to all its new friends, and making ghost crafts to celebrate my favorite time of year. I. Can't. Wait.

I've also been working hard on two additional picture books for younger children, along with some middle grade novels - in which I am creating the cover illustrations and some interior b/w illustrations. It's a dream. It's more than a dream working on all these books. Don't get me wrong - it's a ton of work - my days are quite full - I am no longer taking commissions, doing gallery shows, and I have not had time to even think about opening an online shop, which has been on my to-do list for months. But I have realized that I have come full circle - when I graduated college 6 years ago, it was my dream to write and tell stories through images - to work exclusively on books. It's taken me a winding road to get here, through alleys of editorial work, retail shows, gallery shows, personal commissions and the like. Somehow I kept pushing only to end up where I started, which is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

That said, this month, I am showing at the Julia Martin Gallery here in Nashville and you should check it out! It's the last gallery show I'll be doing for a long while and will be up until the 30th. I did a bunch of new pieces for it, but I also put on display, a number of sketches, and illustrations from the past year or so.

And on and on and on we go.

I'm off to clean my house, make a new recipe and host some lovely friends for dinner, because all this work can't be for naught. We must live too.

This Saturday, I taught my first official workshop at my studio, The Warren! The workshop was focused on painting Animal Textures in greyscale gouache and colored pencil. I went over materials, brands, pallets, and paper, and shared the different textures, marks, and applications you can achieve with these simple mediums.

The students were able to experiment with the effects of major brush types, as well as combining colored pencil with paint.

After the students had time to experiment with the materials, I did three paintings demos on fur, feathers, and scales.

The students were then instructed to choose an animal and implement their chosen technique for their final painting. Their paintings turned out so great!

Ava and her wolves!

Kayla painting her cat, Nimby!

Laura's Bird!

Emily's Otter!

Annie's Sloth!

The lovely horse from Melanie!

Katey's Fox!

Corey's Lemur!

Doris's Fish!

I have to admit, I was pretty nervous before the class began - I wanted to make sure those who came (and some who drove a long distance!) would leave having learned something, not to mention, take with them a little inspiration. The class by far though, exceeded my expectations. I was greeted with the most open, enthusiastic and eager students who created beautiful artwork. You all made my first workshop a huge success, so thank you each and every one of you who signed up and made it out. Thank you also to Kayla, who helped tremendously in planning and prep!

Besides dreaming up further workshops in color, character development, dummy books, illustrations jobs, and more, I am also busy planning online workshops for all of you who can't make it to Nashville! Stay tuned!

This past summer, we visited Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, and I fell in love with the Boreal Forest and the stories of the moose and the martens. This piece came together through a number of trials, flow moments, ripped paintings, tears, popcorn, banging my head on my table, and finally a finished painting. Lately I have been over-complicating all of my work, over thinking it, and it leaves me in a state of constant questioning about everything I make. Simply put: making things this way is not conducive or enjoyable. Somehow, I manage to keep busting down that wall of frustration and sometimes I can make images I am happy with; this is one such image.

The landscape in the painting is based on the coast of Cape Breton. Matt and I and our lovely friends Rena and Shaun camped on the island and ate sandwiches in a cloud. It was so misty and beautiful.

We also visited a BOG! It was freezing and there were carnivorous plants abound. It was magic.

When I returned home, I dreamt about capturing this place in illustrations. I started out using regular bristol paper, and played around in colored pencil and gouache.

After laying down a wash, my paper rippled too much and I realized I didn't really like my martens - I wanted to further stylize them (a constant problem when you were trained to draw photorealistically - thanks art school for being the nagging voice in my ear!)

I set out to redraw the illustration, this time on a thick illustration board. Surely, this would be the winner. I started out drawing it with a red color pencil (which I often do) and though the rough and soft texture on the board wasn't ideal, I kept pushing.

It was my goal to make this one bright and magical. I spent about 6 hours painting this one and at first, I felt really great about it!

I actually got pretty far on this one - I laid in the trees and the ground and the water, it was bright! It had potential! (I didn't grab a photo - I'm foolish!) But then after stepping back (and getting feedback from my studiomates) I realized it was like a disney storybook illustration and it didn't feel like ME. But then again, who am I? What do I make? What defines that? WHO KNOWS? I did a white wash over the whole thing to add magical fog because I thought magical fog defined me...why, I don't know. I tried to save it but after that, it just looked like a cheesy disney painting of a magical foggy land that someone would hang in a poorly decorated cabin. Another. Epic. Fail. More head banging on the table.

I pouted a while and ate some popcorn.

AND THEN I did what I so often do when I'm having a block: I start over on a very separate surface - my sketchbook or a blank sheet of paper - far removed from the final. There is very low expectation in a sketchbook or a piece of copy paper - no one has the see this work, and you can be as scratchy and naive as you'd like.

THIS. This is what I want. This sort of rudimentary and naive and scratchy drawing is what I am search of constantly. But the voice in my head says, "People are going to think you don't know how to draw. What about drawing with your shoulder and not your wrist? It's too simple. You're having too much fun to actually be working". Damn this voice!!

So I started again. I started as scratchy as I'd let myself get away with.

Beginning Marks

She's almost finished! I decided to keep the moose flat black - he almost looks mystical and ominous!

This piece will be available and on display at the Julia Martin Gallery for a solo exhibition (my last one for a while!) I'm sincerely hoping for the rest of the pieces I can squash that frustrating voice in my head. I think my new goal is going to lie in the process of making instead of thinking so hard on the outcome and how the piece will be perceived. I'll let you know if this is possible!

Hey guys! The Warren just posted the first workshop of the season! I'll be teaching a class on Animal Textures: Painting Fur, Feathers and Scales in Gouache and Colored Pencil! The four hour class will run from 10am - 3pm on Saturday, August 20. Space is limited!

It feels so nice to be back in Nashville in my studio. Finally a time to focus, digest, and settle into new projects. This past month, I was able to travel home to Michigan, drive to Nova Scotia, do a little camping with friends, and then attend ICON9 in Austin, TX. It's been a whirlwind, but as the dust settles, I'm finding little inspirations that I've subconsciously collected along the way making their way into my sketches for future work.

In NS, we stayed in Cape Breton for a couple of days and took a guided tour for a sunset hike through the Boreal Forest to watch the sun set over the ocean. We learned about the forest, the fir and spruce trees, the acidic soil and fresh sap, and the inhabiting american martens (which are one of my favorites). We got to see two moose as well, and they are incredibly humbling creatures. It was magical. Expect to see some of this magic soon if I can help it.

In process planning for a new personal painting!

It's strange to talk of ICON9 in past tense as I feel like I had been counting down the conference for weeks, and it was always something exciting in the future...and just like that...it's over! It was an awesome week filled with inspiring speakers, makers and doers. I was able to take the stop-motion loop workshop with Chris Sickels of Red Nose Studio, who has been a favorite illustrator of mine for years. It was eye opening and exciting to think about doing more 3D work, and putting it to motion. It was also so cool seeing his puppets in real life! They're even more charming in person!

Chris Sickels demonstrating his stop-motion process!

One of his very sweet puppets!

I also did the Roadshow! It was a blast, and I want to not only thank the folks at ICON for letting me share my work there, but also to each and everyone of you who came to my table to show support and purchase prints and cards! It was pretty chaotic but every one I met was incredibly caring and enthusiastic. I hope everyone had a great time!

The next best thing to hearing all of illustrators share their work, was meeting people face to face! In a career where most of my interactions take place online, it's just very fufilling to meet people as human makers, and not just online identities. I got to see the ladies from Light Grey Art Lab (who inspire me and my studio mate Kayla with everything they do) and I got to finally meet Teagan White! Teagan and I have chatted through email for a couple of years now and actually have the same Children's Publishing Agent, Nicole, but I hadn't met her in person.

This ICON was the first one where I actually knew a number of people, so hanging with old friends was incredibly refreshing and awesome. And I leave you with this, which represents the feeling of the whole event which was an exciting, sweaty (thanks Austin!), whirlwind of weirdos.

My last post was in APRIL. Today is July 1. I have much catching up to do.

This past Spring has been quite busy with the opening of The Warren, signing on with my new and incredible agency, Tugeau 2, and working like mad behind the scenes on a couple of book projects and a branding project.

The Branding Project is one I am thrilled to share. First, I have to say, I'm generally not one for taking on branding work - I don't do logo and design work, simply because I am not a designer - I leave that to the geniuses. But when I was approached by photographer, Katch Silva, and graphic designer, Tony Sasso, to create illustrations for her brand (and after seeing her inspiration board, which was right up my alley), I jumped in head first. I had a blast creating the characters, the sweet story-based illustration, the handwritten type, and the slew of natural elements to be used in her well-rounded brand.

The illustrations were created with gouache and colored pencil, and cleaned and delivered digitally. To see more from the project, check out the Katch Silva Gallery in my portfolio! And be sure to check out her stunning photography. It will move and mystify you, I promise.

This Tuesday, I'm heading to Austin, TX to attend ICON9! This will be my third time ICON, and I think it'll be my best one to date. The first ICON I attended, I was a student volunteer - the second, I was a starstruck wallflower (I'm shy and awkward!) but this time around, I know quite a few attendees (no more drinking coffee alone in the corner).

I'm pretty excited, I'll have a table at the ROADSHOW Thursday night, and will be selling new prints, greeting cards, and notebooks! All of which will be available in my online shop when that opens later this summer (I know I keep pushing it back, but I'm a one-woman business and I'm human) so if you can't make it to the event, you'll still be able to grab some goodies. I'll been busy packing, stuffing, and painting this week to prep!

As excited as I am for the Roadshow and the whole conference, I am most giddy about the Stop-Motion Workshop with one of my favorite illustrators around. I'll be learning how to loop stop motions with artist Chris Sickels of Red Nose Studio. He's been a huge inspiration for almost a decade, and I'm thrilled to get behind the scenes, meet the puppets, and learn the process.

A while back, I did a bunch of food paintings for my friend Joe Kolean's film debut, which was great, I love painting food. But then an even more awesome thing happened and editor, Kate Berry approached me about using the apple illustration in the second volume of Lunch Lady Magazine. I got it in the mail this week, and it took me a couple of days to open the package because it was so beautifully wrapped. I opened it yesterday and almost fell over. Seriously stunning. Do yourself a favor if you like good design, food, family, recipes, and art and get the first and/or second issue of Lunch Lady.

Now, I am not a parent (unless you count my nerdy animals) but I'm literally obsessed with recipes. A trip to the library is a trip to get a cookbook. My off time is spent with my nose in my own cookbooks, and pinning dozens of new recipes on Pinterest. It's my very own creative craft where I have no pressure or expectation, and when it's all said and done, I usually get to eat a sweet meal.

So proud! My little apple is the apple section header!

Photo by Ava Puckett!

Ahh. What a great little treat to open up. Now, time for this lady to grab a coffee and sit myself down with my own little Lunch Lady treasure. Thanks again Kate!

I can't believe I haven't posted in over a month! Heresy! I will say on my own behalf, I've been busier than a one armed paper hanger (can you name what movie that's from? If you can, we probably would be great friends.) I've been working on multiple book projects and I can't wait to share them. Let me tell you… I've found my home! My corner or the art world. I scoped in galleries, in advertising, in editorial work but could not get comfortable. And then I walked into the book world and BOOM. I'm home.

This post, however, is not about books, but about an illustration I did for an incredibly talented band, The Crane Wives. I've been creating the album covers for the band since their first album way back in 2011. Last year, they released their third album, Coyote Stories, which was one of my favorites to illustrate.

This week the band released Coyote Stories' sister album, Foxlore. I created the illustration with full freedom (which is why I love working with them). The fox was looking stoic but he needed something…a little…spark. My 'ideas guy' as my better half likes to call himself, suggested a crown half joking, but that was it. I sent the sketch to the band and they loved the crown. He is now not only stoic, but ever so regal.

The painting is 10x20" Gouache and Colored Pencil on Paper. Here is the sketch I initially started with. The location is actually based on a beautiful overlook outside of Nashville, Narrows of the Harpeth. I visited for a hike, and the view is breathtaking.

Today is February 29! How often do you get an extra day of the year?! Every four years, that's how often. What are you going to do with all this extra TIME?

Today I have this final celebration for you: The Trifecta. Cooking | Bread | Tea (In no particular order). This weekend I took time away from my work, and instead made potato soup, had a bonfire, rearranged my house, went hiking, sat in the grass, ate pancakes - I had a real plan free weekend. I do apologize for not giving you your daily pins, but here they are in all their glory.

I have been watching Michael Pollan's show COOKED on Netflix, and I am inspired and in awe. Cooking has become my closet obsession. Though I don't share it that often, most of my free time is spent in the kitchen trying new ingredients and recipes - every trip to the library is for cookbooks, and every free phone moment is spent saving recipes on Pinterest. So today we celebrate cooking in all of its capacities. Also - bread and tea - no explanation needed. So comforting. So magical.

Head over to the Flow Magazine Friends of Flow Pinterest Board to see today's final post! Thank you to everyone who has been following along this month. And stay tuned, as I am working on making prints of selected drawings from this series. I'll keep you posted!

Pencils are definitely ordinary objects, that once scrutinized, are impossibly extraordinary. My friend Edie was telling me about the new pencil store, CW Pencil Enterprise in NY and how incredible it was. Just days later, I was listening to the latest Freakonomics Podcast which actual features this new store. This particular podcast is all about the pencil - how it's made, and how impossible it is to actually make. It's so extraordinary!

“May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

This morning I woke feeling heavy minded about the world and its overwhelming struggles. It's hard to be small and wonder which one deserves the most attention, or how we can be of help. It is sometimes troubling to make art and wonder whether or not that actually benefits the world at all. But then I think, I could be making work that belittles others or puts out negativity into the world - and I always try to do the opposite. I try to bring light because we all need it - I need it.

So today, we celebrate light - however that resonates with you. Bulbs of light, bugs of light, lights of fire, a light heart. Light is seen as a positive force, and I am oh so thankful for it. Today on the Flow Magazine Friends of Flow Pinterest Post, we celebrate Light.

Every time it rains here in Nashville, I am mindful of my step. Lurking silently on my porch are terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks - otherwise known as snails. These shell covered blobs of life must be going somewhere..but they never seem to be in a hurry. Since Flow Magazine is after all, "A Magazine That Takes Its Time", what better way to celebrate our Friend's of Flow post, than by commemorating snails.

Snails are amazing! Did you know snails are hermaphrodites? That they are believed to live up to 25 hears in captivity? INSANE! Make your day better by learning more about these goobies here.

Our lovely Moon : Everynight Magic. This beaming satellite which orbits Earth is seen through its 29 day cycle, crescent to full, blue, glowing orange, crisp and clear. It affects our tides and is slowly moving farther from Earth, elongating its orbit. It is not the biggest moon in the Solar System, but it is our only moon, and I am thankful for it.

Today we celebrate the moon, this magical lunar friend. To find more moon illustrations, check out Flow Magazine's Friends of Flow Pinterest Board. (I have to tell you - there are so many incredible pieces of art surrounding the moon, that I had to literally peel myself away from pinning. I could have pinned moons all day!)

Today we celebrate fire - the kind you gather around, whether it's in a brick fireplace, or on the ground at camp. This weekend at our Farmhouse, we lit a fire in the fireplace and sat around eating S'Mores and telling ghost stories. You know as well as I - there's nothing better and cozier than staring at, sitting around, and smelling a good fire.